Effective Ways To Overcome The Fear Of Public Speaking

LifeStyleMarch 5, 2018

There are really two types of people in the world when it comes to performing on stage or presenting to a big crowd – those who love speaking in public and those who become really stiff and scared even just at the thought of it – we have to find amazing ways how to deal with it. These are perfectly normal phenomena that occur to many people.

Conquering the trauma of stage fright need not be a struggle. However, understanding how performance anxiety and stage fright happens, how they work, and how to go about them, are great ways to get started the “conquering process”.

These tips shall never fail you, especially if you keep No. 2 in mind.

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1. Shift your attention from yourself and your fear to your true purpose. Contributing something of value to your audience. Focus on your speech, audience, and what they deserve from you. This will ease the pressure that is already accumulating.

2. Stop scaring yourself with thoughts about what might go wrong. Though you might feel like everyone is out there to laugh and ready to criticize or judge you, it’s not really the case. Get over the feeling that the world is going to hang on your every mistake. After all, it is NOT all about you.

3. Focus on thoughts and images that appear calming and reassuring to you. There are many ways to calm and relax your mind and body such as deep breathing, relaxation exercises, yoga, and meditation is a good option. Before you speak, always relax.

4. Refuse to think judgments that create self-doubt and low confidence. Bear this in mind: Stage fright is true “all in your head,” the fear manifests itself in the physical sense. The quickest way to combat this is to change your negative self-talk into positive self-talk. So instead of saying,“What if I forget what I am talking about?” Try saying, “What if I am fantastic at this!?”. Sounds silly, I know, but it’s worth a try.

5. Prepare your material in advance and read it aloud so you hear your voice. Knowing the content of your speech or lecture is very important. By reading it aloud, you familiarize yourself with the ways to deliver it effectively and efficiently. It is also a great way to assure yourself that you know what you’d say or do. And there’s no reason to be nervous at all.

6. Practice in front of a mirror or in front of friends, or you may also opt to record or video yourself. Doing this is penalty-free and fun, making you associate public speaking with something enjoyable versus something you’re afraid of.

7. Visualize your success: Always focus on your strength and ability to handle challenging situations. You can do this through profound reflection, visualization, and meditation. Spend time visualizing yourself giving your perfect presentation and speaking in public – filled with humor, warmth, confidence, and wit.

During the Performance or Presentation

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8. Make connections with your audience: Smile and greet people, thinking of them as friends rather than enemies or critics.

9. Stand or sit in a self-assured, confident posture. Remain warm and open and make eye contact. Above all, speak confidently. You’ve prepared for this and you certainly want this to turn out really well.

10. Give up trying to be perfect and know that it is OK to make mistakes. Be natural and be yourself. Don’t also blame yourself in case technical glitch occurs – inevitable things like this really happen.

Remember not to fight your stage fright, you just have to deal and work with it. You have to expect and accept the fact that you will feel a bit anxious, especially during the first few minutes of your presentation. Thus, think that the more you resist your anxiety, the more it will work against you. Again, focus on the presentation when speaking in public and the anxiety will slowly ease off.

Good luck!